Keep Going!
Last Wednesday evening I shared a testimony of when I first began preaching in 1990. My first sermons were preached in June at Spring Creek Baptist Church in Southwest Oklahoma. I filled in for pastors for several months before being called to the church at Sweetwater, Oklahoma in November. At that time, few churches had good sound systems, and some didn’t have one at all. My voice is not the strongest and it was a challenge for me to be able to project my voice. At one of those churches, the third or fourth church that I preached at, I had a problem with my voice in the evening service. Likely this was caused by allergies, but it was very discouraging that this happened.
On the way home, as I was thinking about this, I began to think that it just wasn’t meant for me to preach because of my voice. At the moment I was thinking this there was a large meteorite that exploded near our vehicle. Along with that occurring came the thought that I was to continue to preach God’s Word, which I have done. My voice has had problems off and on over the years, but God has blessed in spite of it.
In 1992, I attended an evangelism conference where many great evangelists shared messages and testimonies. One of the evangelists was not able to be there and another man filled in for him. I don’t know the man’s name, but he preached a powerful message. The message was from Joshua 6 and the defeat of Jericho. The Hebrews kept marching around the city day after day until the walls fell down. The point of the evangelist’s message was that we should keep going, keep marching, keep doing what we know we are to do, living holy lives and the victory will come. As I was going through a difficult time early in my ministry, the evangelist’s message struck a chord with me.
Many are facing difficult times in our country now, and indeed across the world. Many of us in our church are facing health issues and the pressures of life can seem overwhelming. There are some people who are battling with besetting or ensnaring sins who are thinking about giving up. What would God have us to do? I think that God has the same message for us as He did for Joshua in Joshua 1:7:
“Be strong and very courageous.”
Let us continue on! Keep going! Be strong and courageous as you march forward in the Lord through this life knowing that the Lord is with you along each step of the way.
KEEP GOING!!
Fear not, for I am with you;
Be not dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you,
Yes, I will help you,
I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.
Isaiah 41:10